New AI 'Deep Nostalgia' brings old photos to life

An AI service called Deep Nostalgia developed by MyHeritage brings photos to life by animating faces using deepfake technology. The videos created using the service have gone viral on social media. MyHeritage says that more than 1 million photos have been animated within 48 hours using Deep Nostalgia. The users of the service describe Deep Nostalgia as “incredible”.

Zoom In: The online genealogy company, ‘MyHeritage’, founded in 2003 uses AI licensed from Israel-based D-ID to make still photos appear as if they're moving. Still faces start to smile, blink, and even move their heads. The viral program has garnered mixed reactions, giving rise to ethical and privacy concerns. The company has said that photos can only be animated and that a voice feature will never be implemented. It has also pointed out that the photos uploaded without completing signup are automatically deleted to protect the users’ privacy. MyHeritage has added that it does not provide any images to third parties.